'Don't Hoard Gas,' Floridians Urged As Some Stations Run Out

FLORIDA — Residents are being urged by a Florida official not to panic-buy gas after a cyberattack caused a temporary shutdown of a major U.S. gas pipeline that supplies fuel to most of the Eastern seaboard, including Florida.

Some gas stations in Pensacola were shut down due to shortages Monday after the cyberattack on Colonial Pipeline Co. As of 3 p.m. Tuesday, the GasBuddy app reported 2.8 percent of Florida's gas stations are short of fuel. At 11 a.m., it was reported at 2.5 percent.

The gas station shortages and outages are in the north of the state such as the Jacksonville metro, Ned Bowman, the executive director for Florida Petroleum Marketing Association, told CNN.

Bowman expects Jacksonville and Pensacola to have a full source of gas Wednesday. He told the news outlet the two cities can receive a full supply from reserves in the locations. The area is usually refilled by a site in Bainbridge, Georgia, which is served by the Colonial pipeline.

A St. Pete Patch reporter went to the 7-Eleven at the corner of Dr. MLK Jr. St. North and 22nd Avenue North in St. Petersburg, and there weren't long lines at the gas pumps that News4Jax reported were seen in Jacksonville.

Drivers in St. Petersburg at the 7-Eleven pumps and Shell across the street were unaware of the gas issues. The few people there were just filling up their tanks to get to work Wednesday.

“In general, Floridians may expect some fuel pricing and sales issues in the coming days due to several factors,” Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried said in a news release. “These include the temporary shutdown of a major U.S. fuel pipeline due to a cyberattack, causing fuel to be trucked in to certain regions, as well as a shortage of truck drivers currently affecting both the fuel industry and agriculture industry.”

Many Floridians fear an increase in gas prices due to the gas pipeline shutdown. According to News4Jax, the Colonial Pipeline delivers about 45 percent of the fuel consumed on the East Coast.

Mark Jenkins, AAA Florida spokesperson, said the longer the pipeline is down, the greater the threat of rising gas prices.

Fried said in a tweet Tuesday, "Floridians: don't panic-buy gas, don't hoard gas and don't form long lines at gas stations during the #GasShortage."

Floridians: don’t panic-buy gas, don’t hoard gas, and don’t form long lines at gas stations during the #GasShortage.https://t.co/izF2Qm5TeV
— Nikki Fried (@nikkifried) May 11, 2021